6 months with no weight gain but muscle increase pretty weird pics.

[Endurance]

I accidently posted these somewhere else sorry. The first is of me at 142lbs. The next two are me 6 months later at 145lbs. I am really frustrated. As i ripped up i didn't gain any size. I was following a bulking workout routine as well as my diet. Whats the problem. Im trying to get to 175lbs but something isn't working and its damn sure not my ethnic

[Endurance]

two

[Endurance]

and back

[Endurance]

C'mon guys 13views and no responses. Thats what this web site is for

[Sigmund Froid]

You look better in the more recent photographs. Do you work legs at all? Also, increase your diet by another 1,000 calories and another 100g of protein, if you already have a good diet and are getting no results. Make sure you are not overtraining. You need more mass. Stay focused

-SF

[skinnyhb]

what does your training split look like?

[love2lift]

Yeah dude, whats your diet like? After 6 months of dieting good and training right you should definetely put on some mass. But in saying that, i can still definetely see an improvement. Maybe try upping the calories and protein consumption if not high enough already. I was once 160 lbs and with like 300 g of protein and approx 4000 calories a day for a few months I put on 15-20 lbs. Just eat, train and get plenty of rest.

[Endurance]

These are from one year ago the first was jan 02 the next ones were may02. I was just getting out of a running season in the first pic so i had not worked my legs but for 6 months. I was eating more than you could ever imagine and it was clean. I was at about 3700cals a day and 150g of protein. My training was generally speaking like this 5x5 3x10 3x8 so i was mass building. I took a lay off from august to october and now im back full blown. I have switched my training to 10-13 reps per exercise. 3 exercises 3 sets per exercise per muscle. I am not gaining like i was last year so i have switched to lower reps. My bodyfat is only 6% so i don't need to cut anymore i need to bulk. And i am eating and drinking protein shakes and resting. Heres my schedule
Mon: chest,shoulders
Tues: back
Wed: legs
Thurs: arms
Sat: cardio

[Endurance]

Bump

[mmaximus25]

Log what you eat for a week or 2 each day... You’re not getting enough good calories....Trust me count your calories.... once you count and start eating 4000 to 5000 good calories you will know. When you know what 4000 cals is like to consume you my not need to measure and count so hard... You weigh 145 right... growth 1.5g of pro-tein x your body weight, growth 2g of carb(complex-simple) x your body weight, growth .5g of fat(poly/mono unsaturated) x your body weight a day, every day you should be intaking this type of ratio for growth. I don’t think your getting anywhere near this, you are basically maintaining.

You can bulk harder by raising your fat intake; I don’t because I don’t want to increase my high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Cals per gram of PCF: 1gram carbohydrate = 3.75 calories 1 gram protein = 4 calories 1 gram fat = 9 calories 1 gram alcohol = 7 calories

[mmaximus25]

I forgot one more important thing, You must train like you eat....
that ratio with grams can be considered maintanance to your most probable fast metabolic rate... bump your fat up and protein and hit the weights hard brother

[Endurance]

Thanks guys. My parents support me in my lifting and allow me to buy whatever i want for food. I eat chicken like its going out of style. Everything i grill and i do eat at least 3x1000 cal meals a day and then add in all my in between fruit and protein shakes. I eat when i don't even want to think about food. Im just not growing any more. I am getting my finances straight and would like to start my first cycle. test+eq+dbol. I am in school and my university has the large rec center in the southeast united states so i have access to all equipment. Im just stuck basically. I am barely gaining in my lifts. My exercises have been at the same weight for a while. Maybe my genetic makeup is working against me but im aiming for 175lbs 6%bf by may and i have no problem with the Bf but i just can't gain any size. Thank you so much for the replys and please keep them coming.

[sd11]

Not a flame bro, but I wouldn't even think about gear at your size, wait until you gain at least 30lbs. Mmaximus gave you some great advice, I'm sure if you start eating 4-5 thousand cals a day you'll be very happy with your gains.

[Endurance]

Thanks guys. I figure since im starting early i ve got time. My progress in 6 months was very pleasing to me and i guess in about 3 years i should be one ripped mofo. Appreciate all the info

[Terinox]

Great progress bro, keep up the hard work.

[CPARAM]

Hey buddy, I was just like you. Couldn't gain weight no matter what. Get some weight gainer 2200 GOLD from GNC. I got 2 jugs of that stuff and put on over 35 lbs in less than 2 months. I gained a little of fat, but its easy to shred cause of my metabolism. I gained a ton of strength as well.

[CPARAM]

One more thing, you say you are a runner. I was a year round swimmer, trained for like 3 hours a day. Once I quit swimming, I grew like crazy.

[FedSki]

Listen to mmaximus25, you're probably not eating enough. Make sure you get at least 300g of protein and twice that of carbs. every single day.

IMO you should only workout twice a week. Make sure you put the maximum effort into your training but don't over do it - each session should last an hour max. I suggest you do a maxiumum of four sets for large muscle groups and three for small muscle groups. Also, lower your reps. Do 8 reps each set and work it out so you're almost at failure on your last set. Get plenty of rest.

[Endurance]

thanks guys I will go and get that weight gainer (cparam). Here's my exact workout schedule. Please give some advice. I really don't need to do cardio because when i was a runner (i am done now for good but i ran collegiately until nov 02) my metabolism was so fast that i seem to stay pretty cut. All my exercise follow 3x10,8,6
Chest: flat bench Incline machine press Decline or flys
Shoulders: lateral raises, military db press bent over cables
Back: shrugs, pullups, cable pulleys, one arm rows deadlifts
Legs: squats, leg ext, ham curls, one leg machine press, calve raises
Arms: Bi)machine curls. alt db curls. EZ bar preachers
Tri) one arm db exts. cable presses. Tri machine.
thanks guys. I would really like to bulk up and i am truly eating everything i possibly can without puking. Supplements, protein Etc. info would be helpful. I do rest alot never less than 8 hours a night and i don't do any other physical activities except for an occasional game of raquetball.

[Dan3814]

Have you ever tried creatine...I would run that before i hit the juice...Phosphagen Hp or Cell Tech....Def put some weight on you and increase your bench..

[CPARAM]

Protein wont do the trick, you need weight gainer. That stuff will jump start you for sure. I think i would make like a half shake after i worked out, and before i went to sleep I had like 3 scoops and filled it up to the 40 oz mark with milk. After downing that many calories you basically pass out. But to warn you, it will put on fat! But in my opinion it is the best way to bulk up, once the gut gets a little too big, do some cardio. Hell, I used to be 165, veins everywhere, Now im 225, not nearly as cut, but I'm much happier with my body. Good luck man

[Vegas Kid]

Eat a lot more (it's not how much but rather what you eat that counts), get some creatine, go with a mass building workout routine, cut the running down.

Good luck.

[Endurance]

Thanks guys. Im done running now and have been for 3months so i figured i would have gained at least some weight but when i was in my last week of the season i was 140lbs. And 3months later Im only 145lbs. I tried cell-tech but the alpha lipoic acid was too much for my stomach and i wasn't wanting to eat because of it. I know about empty calories and how it can fill you up but give you the amount you need. With that in mind i am in school and my diet can be modified but not completely changed due to my limitations. Im pre-med and i have talked to some of my biology professors about carbs fats and what not but i still seem to be not gaining anything. Maybe 9sets per bodypart is too much but i only work bodyparts once a week. Im really confused. I guess thats what i love about lifting...you can never learn enough. SO i get the weight gainer, eat more filling calories...what else can i do. Im not worried about how much weight i can lift but more of how my physique looks.

[FedSki]

Seriously brother the way you look and from what you're saying you're a hard gainer. I think the food thing has been convered - take my advice above and ensure you don't over train. Try it for a month - twice a week, for an hour max. each session. It worked for me!

[Endurance]

thanks man What type of routine would you advise for twice a week working out. Ya'll are a great deal of help. We're a family we got to stick together

[BoostedFirehawk]

i do eat at least 3x1000 cal meals a day

Whoa Whoa Whoa!! Say what?!? Do you mean, what i think you mean? As in you only eat 3 meals a day with alot of calories? Wrong thing to do man, I don't know if someone else already posted this because i'm in too much of a hurry to read everyone's posts... but you need to spread those meals out and take in less cals. per meal... keep you intake of cals, protein, etc... where they are, but spread it to more meals a day. Your body can only absorb so much at a time, so your not absorbing all of the nutrients. Sorry for the short post, i will come back later when i get home.

[Endurance]

Yes i do mean what you think i mean 3x1000 calories a day. But earlier in the post i stated that i am also a student. This comes with a meal plan. I cannot alter that meal plan so i am force to eat big when the opportunity comes. I also don't have alot of time to eat in my day. I take 18 hours of classes and work 20 hours a week so when i get in the cafeteria i am a mad man. Thats something i just don't have alot of control over.

[CPARAM]

I'm on a meal plan as well. Just eat at least three big meals(try for 5), and try to fit in a shake and some snack in between. But yeah, I gained most of my mass by working out each body part only once a week. Chest and tris and shoulders, back and biceps, and legs. An example of chest day would be, 4 sets of flat bench, 3 sets of incline dumbells, 3 sets of tricep pushdowns, 3 sets of dips. On the last set of each exercise i try to hit 4 good reps. It never felt like I was working hard in the gym, but I kept getting bigger.

[BoostedFirehawk]

I agree, being a student does take a toll on you gains, effects what you can eat, and when you can eat it... I've been there, and i've trained HS and college students with very busy and strict schedules. But lemme tell you, there are ways to sneak past those limitations.. For example, high cal. protein shakes, protein bars, misc other quick on the go, or in class options. Ever consider keeping glutamine or amino tablets with you during class with bottled water, to help maintain your gains? Look at your days, and plan ahead, and try to sneak in some extras, atleast give it a shot. Nothing to lose but a whole lot to gain. Keep in mind this is while staying natural, you would still have to eat to get max results even if you hopped on some gear.

[FedSki]

Try to have a shake between your meals and a shake or small meal about an hour before you go to bed.

Here's a suggested routine for twice a week training. It's been working for me. It includes exercises for my 'skinny' areas, like forearms and upper chest. I tweak it every couple of months or so to improve weak areas . . .

Session 1
Bench press
Incline bench press
Triceps push downs
Curls
Reverse curls
Sit-ups

Session 2
Squats (deep)
Leg curls (hamstrings)
Calf raises
Chins/Lat pulls
Behind neck press
Shrugs

I warm up and stretch good for about five mins and do the first exercise of each session as a warm up too. I don't do warm up sets thereafter as I do my own style of pyramid sets - which I'm not necessarily advocating but it works for me. So for session 1 I do . . .

Bench 12x100lbs as warm up, then 8x180lbs, 8x190lbs, 8x200lbs, 12x180lbs. If I manage the last twelve I up it 5lbs the next session.

During or after your workout drink a high carb. drink mixed with creatine. After your workout drink a high protein shake. I mean straight after!

[Endurance]

Thaks guys im really impressed with the responses and advice. I work as a TA at my school so alot of my work is in my office. I have a microwave and refrigerator so shakes with me at work shouldn't be a problem. Im using Nitro tech right now and ive gone through a 2lb container and still no results. Iam getting mixed advice however. Some people say each bodypart once a week spread out over 4-5 days and some people are saying drop my sets down. I do 9 sets per bodypart not including warm up. One guy at my gym who is very crediable says go as high as 15 sets for chest and superset bis. others say 4 really good working sets should take me to failure. I find in my own experience that it takes at least 6-7 good working sets to get sore but i also have 6 days to rest that body part. Is this aspect depend on what feels right?

[FedSki]

Dude, you've just highlighted your problem. You're doing way too much. You are obviously an ectomorph, a naturally slim person with a high metabolism who finds it difficult to put on weight (and muscle). Training four times a week will just cause you to burn calories and probably cause your body to be in a constant catabolic state. Training four or five times a week is not for everyone.

The routine I've suggested only trains each body part once a week and gives you plenty of recovery time in between. I used to have a three session routine but still only trained twice a week. So I would do session 1 on Tues, 2 on Fri, 3 on Tues, 1 on Fri and so on. This meant I had plenty of recovery time between each session.

Go to http://www.faqs.org/faqs/body-building/hardgainer-faq for a document that might be of interest. Before you read it though I must say I'm not in agreement with everything stated there. I have developed my own routine which I change from time to time and don't follow the routine detailed in the article. I've quoted a section below which I think is useful.

2.3.1 How often should I work out?
-----------------------------------
Training each lift in the all-out effort that comes at the end of a cycle would very quickly result in overtraining for most normalgainers if it were attempted three times a week. Training each movement once a week while dividing all the exercises into three separate workouts can be productive, but better still would be to divide all movements into two separate workouts with several days for recovery in-between. For the confirmed hardgainer, or at the end of a heavy Deadlift or Squat cycle, working an exercise twice in three weeks may be required for full recovery.

Muscles grow in-between workouts after being stimulated by a specific exercise. What good does it do to perform an exercise when not fully recovered from a previous session? Showing up in the gym because one has become "habituated" to bodybuilding has to be completely thrown out.

A good rule of thumb for the hardgainer is never to train while still feeling systemically tired. Have one day completely free of systemic fatigue before training again. While it is still possible to have some local soreness from, say, Monday's Squat workout, you may be systemically fine and raring to go for Friday's deadlift session.

[Endurance]

thank you very much fedski iam going to cut my working out down and see if i can get some results.

[FedSki]

Keep us posted on your progress - I'm sure what I've suggested will help. Why not post your new routine here so we can have a look?

Good luck!

[ECFATCAT]

you need to learn how to eat to grow

[FedSki]

Originally posted by ECFATCAT
you need to learn how to eat to grow

very helpful!

ecfatcat, you need to learn how to give encouragement and advice (to grow)

[Endurance]

thanks fedski and ecfatcat you probably need to read pete235 rules. tis not that hard to find ITS THE VERY FIRST POST. Didn't your mom teach you if you don't have something nice to say then KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. Heres what im going to do. Weight gainer 2200 gold 3 scoops a day. at least 3500 calories(ill try for more) Im going to follow the hardgainers program for 4 weeks:
MON: deadlifts 5x6 Incline bench 5x6 weighted ab work 3x12
WED: Lat pull downs 5x6 Barbell curls 3x6 calf work 3x15 side bends 3x12
FRI:Leg press 1x8 2x12 weighted dips 3x6 shoulder press 5x6 calf 3x20

this is showing all the sets for all the exercises such as the exercises with 5 sets the first two are warm up. the exercises with 3 the first one is a warmup. This is a great less workload then what im doing and im not sure about it but.........i have everything to gain and really not much to lose since im not gaining. I'll keep everybody posted on my weight increases and what not. Here we go!

[tolinka]

I believe this is very true what FedSki said.

I know this guy in his 40's a Russian guy. He always tells me when i'm at the gym that i dont need to workout every day. He said that i need to workout like 3 times a week and just eat alot to put on mass. So I believe he has the same ideaology of working out every day.
Unfortunely i didnt really listened to him...now i i think that he might've been right.

[jon rock]

noticed your back shot. you may want to bring your head back a little
and turn it sideways and it will show more detail in your traps. then when you see it you will feel better about your gains. *

[pumpseeker]

Endurance- Keep up the hard work. I see definite improvement in these pics. Here's my advice for your diet-which is absolutely the BIGGEST part of the equation for ectomorphs:

Do you know how many calories you're eating each day? What the protein/carb/fat breakdown is? Start counting everything you eat, record it in a log for a week so you know what you're doing now.

Then, figure out how many calories you need to eat each day to grow, and how much of that should come from protein, carbs, and fat. Adjust your current diet to this diet.

Consume the necessary calories across 6-7 meals (eating every 2-3 hours). Stay consistent and stay full...you've got to be obsessive about eating but it'll be routine after a while.

Make this eating schedule easy to follow...use supplements like the weight gainer, creatine, glutamine, a multi vitamin/mineral, etc every day. If you miss a meal or eat bad one day, get right back on your schedule and forget about it.

Stay away from cardio for now, lift heavy, get plenty of sleep, and you'll grow. It might take several years to hit your goals, but won't it be worth it.